Jasmine Star (00:00:00) - I'm just going to say it. The people you lead notice everything. They notice when a leader is approachable and willing to listen. They notice when a leader is willing to admit making mistakes and then taking responsibility. They notice when a leader is open to feedback into constantly learning. So use this to your advantage because you want people to be the same way to emulate with themselves in other team members. They're learning how to act at work by watching you. Welcome back to The Jasmine Star Show where we discuss business mindset and today, leadership. I'm going to be the first to admit that when someone classifies me as a leader, it feels like I'm wearing a pair of shoes that are like three sizes too big. Awkward. Oversized. Misappropriated. Okay. Let me ask you a legit question. Have you ever worn shoes three sizes too big? Like dude, I have. Okay, so this is a weird place to start this podcast, but I'm gonna find a way to loop it back in. Let me tell you the story.

Jasmine Star (00:00:53) - Back in the day, there was a shoe brand called LA gear, and I thought it was the coolest brand to ever exist. As a girl born and bred in L.A., those shoes felt like the pinnacle of coolness. And like, you have arrived. I wanted a pair of LA gear tennis shoes so bad, but I didn't want just any pair. I wanted LA gear regulator, which is a shoe that all the boys were wearing at church. Okay, so these shoes, they had a basketball on the tongue of the shoe and and it was a pump like. No, but really like, it was a pump that you would use. You'd put your foot in and then you would pump it and you would tighten the shoe, and then it would add air to the sole and around your foot. When I saw commercials for the regulator, my heart stopped. And I wished for those shoes with every fiber in my body and being. Of course, my family couldn't afford the shoes and we shopped entirely at thrift stores, so I didn't even bother asking my parents for them because it just wouldn't have happened.

Jasmine Star (00:01:44) - And then one more fine magical day. My mom was shopping at Pick and Save and there was a rack full of discounted shoes. Now, I knew those shoes weren't cool anymore, but like, I didn't care. I just wanted to own them. The problem was they only had men's sizes and I was nine years old. But did that stop me? Oh no, no it didn't. I begged my mom for the shoes and I swore I'm like, I'll be good. I'll do extra chores and I'll dedicate my future basketball career to you, mama. Let's go. So spending $29.99 on those shoes was beyond steep for my mom, but she knew I would dream of them forever. I mean, here I am years later talking about them on a podcast. Oh, I put those shoes on before we walked out of Pick and Save. And despite like I pumped those shoes up so much they just didn't fit. I didn't care, I didn't care at all. Those shoes slipped right off my heels every time I took a step, but I kept walking with my head held high, even when the boys at church made fun of me.

Jasmine Star (00:02:39) - But looking back at it, maybe that experience was teaching me how to step into shoes much bigger than I ever thought I could wear, and somehow making it work. One of my favorite examples of a phenomenal, talented, and quite frankly, underrated leader of all time is famed baseball player Jackie Robinson. I want to honor and share a little bit of his story in this episode, since I'm going to be honest, it was inspired by him and his very courageous leadership style, even if it was or was not his intention to be a leader at the beginning. So Jackie's legendary for breaking the color barrier in baseball, but he did it by not only doing that, but opening a lot of doors for many people behind him. He grew up when segregation was the norm in America, and despite facing numerous setbacks and obstacles, he thrived in both sports. And he played academics at UCLA, my alma mater. Let's go Bruins. Well, I was actually UCLA law, but I could still tell it being a Bruin because Jackie Robinson was there too.

Jasmine Star (00:03:36) - Let's go LA, okay. In fact, Jackie Robinson made history as the first student to earn a letter in four varsity sports after serving in the military during World War Two, he began his professional baseball career in leagues that were just for black players. But his talent caught the attention of Branch Rickey, who was the GM of the Brooklyn Dodgers. So you're seeing what this is going now, right? So in 1947, Rickey made the very historic decision to sign Robinson to a major League Baseball contract and breaking baseball's color barrier. Now, I'm sure you can guess he faced intense racism, discrimination both on and off the field. He experienced verbal abuse, death threats and physical violence, all while maintaining his composure and dignity. Now, of course, Jackie demonstrated common leadership qualities like resilience, adaptability and determination to succeed. But I want to focus on underrated qualities he possessed and how we can learn to become better leaders from them. The four qualities Jackie Robinson had that I think are incredibly valuable and totally underrated are focus, courage, humility and composure.

Jasmine Star (00:04:44) - Now here's how Jackie showed focus. He did not let the hate get to his head. Imagine the constant jabs and the threats, and Robinson block them all out. He knew his goal. Play baseball at the highest level and break the racial barriers. He wouldn't. He could. Wouldn't let negativity from his haters sidetrack him. He kept his eye on the prize, both the game and the bigger mission. But he wasn't just focused on himself. He saw the future, a future where any athlete could play judged by their skills, not by the color of their skin. That big picture like that mission. That's what kept him going even when things got really hard. Plus, on top of all of that, he never stopped pushing himself. He wasn't about to settle, not even with all that noise going on around him. He kept getting better, honing his skills, and he became a stronger player in the process. The more hate, the better he got. Now the focus on improvement just wasn't about his game.

Jasmine Star (00:05:38) - It was about a message, a message of never giving up no matter what. So because he focused on his goal, his vision and his improvement, he couldn't lose. Now I feel like I need to see that again because he focused on his goal, his vision and his improvement. He couldn't lose. So what does this look like for you and your business? Just like Jackie Robinson, you can become laser focused. Here's how. Number one block out the noise. You can train yourself to tune out distractions. Identify your biggest focus killers. Like maybe it's social media, your phone, other people, a messy workspace, whatever it is, find ways to minimize it. Jackie was intentionally focused so you can ask yourself, am I intentionally focused? If not, what can I do to change that? Number two, visualize your success. Robinson saw a future where baseball was integrated. Imagine your own goals on like, a smaller or even a larger scale in vivid detail. What does success look like for you? Like even better, what does success look like for the world and the people around you? The people connected to you? When times get hard? For me, I think of two people.

Jasmine Star (00:06:45) - I think of my grandmother, and I think of my daughter, my Puerto Rican grandmother who didn't have the opportunity to live out to her fullest potential. Juxtaposed with my daughter, who I want more than anything to step into opportunities that I never had. I keep pushing to honor the past, and I keep pushing to make ways for a better future. So now it's your turn. What does success look like for you and the world and the people connected to you? I want you to hold that image in your mind. When challenges come up, they will help get you through. Number three commit to continuous improvement. Jackie Robinson never stopped honing his skills when he wasn't practicing. He was studying films and finding ways to get better, more mentally tough. So it's important to have the humility to constantly find new ways to grow and learn in your own field. Now, of course, I think it's valuable to take courses and read books and go to workshops, but I actually want you to take action. Action is what's going to get you to the next level.

Jasmine Star (00:07:41) - So here's a practical example of what I do for continuous improvement. So you can find something similar in your line of business. So just like Jackie, I study recordings of presentations that I've given and I find ways to improve. I study my body language, my speed, how clearly and concisely I can convey my message. Okay, so we're going to move on to the second most underrated quality in leadership, which is courage. So here's how Jackie Robinson demonstrated courage. Well, first of all, he faced unimaginable adversity. Imagine trying to do your job like you're a photographer, you're a dog walker, your jewelry maker, you're a life coach. And then imagine trying to do all of that when you're already facing that level of insecurity. And then you have to go through constant hate threats, violence coming from all angles. He just didn't face those challenges. He stared them down with unwavering courage. He refused to be intimidated. He refused to be silenced. So here's an example. When Jackie Robinson's team played the Phillies in 1947, the Phillies manager Ben Chatman relentlessly taunted him with racial slurs from the opposing dugout.

Jasmine Star (00:08:47) - Just imagine there he is in the box holding a bat and somebody is saying the most vile, awful, terrible things. And he went on again and again and again, on and on and on. But despite the overwhelming hostility from that team's manager, Jackie Robinson faced him, stood tall and performed well, refusing to let those words that hatred determine or deter him from his mission. Secondly, he didn't back down from his convictions. Robinson believed in racial equality and the right for all athletes to compete fairly. He had the courage to stand by those beliefs, even when it meant putting himself at risk and what might be the most important way. He demonstrated courage as a leader. He inspired courage in others. His unshakable stance against racism inspired countless of others to speak up and fight for equality, too. That's what a good leader does. A good leader will say, I'm going to say something uncomfortable. I'm going to say something unpopular, and I'm going to keep on saying it. And the minute that I can withstand it and the minute I do it again, it will empower somebody to do it in a smaller, quieter level until so many of us are doing it that our voices cannot be ignored.

Jasmine Star (00:09:58) - So. Jackie Robinson became a symbol of courage, showing that even one person can make a huge difference. For example, he befriended and mentored other black players who followed in his footsteps and faced similar challenges when they were breaking into professional baseball. Yeah. By sharing his experiences and offering support and guidance, he empowered these players to confront adversity with courage and determination by saying, I've been there. Don't let him get to you. He just didn't open the door for them. He said, I'm walking alongside of you. So what does this mean for you? Like you as a business owner, you know what it's like to face down adversity in your own way. So what does adversity look like for you, I hope? It is my greatest, deepest prayer that you do not face any of the adversity, specifically racial, as you are building your business. So if we were to put that aside, assuming that in this great, beautiful, mighty country, you don't have to face that. But let's just take away and look at, let's just say a competitor swoops in and they're making a lot of noise.

Jasmine Star (00:11:01) - The market shifts, regulations change, and it feels like the ground is constantly moving under your feet as adversity. We've all been there. But here's the thing Robinson just didn't face hate. He faced a whole system stacked against him, but he didn't let that stop him. That's the kind of courage you need as a great leader. It's not about being fearless. It's about staring down challenges and saying, Brandon, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. When you say, this is my move to make, you will then make bold moves on purpose so you don't need to cower in defense. In fact, I hope that you step up. I hope that you own your offense being like in kind. Good gracious order. I'm going to stand my ground. Because once you start making courageous moves in your business, you're going to notice a shift in momentum. Even your team or people who are connected to you in some capacity, they're going to feel empowered to take ownership and start pushing boundaries to they will follow your lead.

Jasmine Star (00:11:58) - Okay, let's move on to the next underrated quality in leadership. And that's humility. So why is humility such an underrated leadership quality? Think of humility as the bridge between a leader and the people they're leading. Despite breaking racial barriers and becoming a baseball legend, Robinson never let his achievements go to his head. His humility allowed him to connect with people on a human level, which inspired them to join the movement. Okay, so what does this mean for you and your business? We'll think of it this way when leaders remain humble, they create environment of trust and collaboration, where everybody feels valued and empowered to contribute and like, know what? I'm just gonna say it. The people you lead notice everything they notice. When a leader is approachable and willing to listen, they notice when a leader is willing to admit making mistakes and then taking responsibility. They notice when a leader is open to feedback into constantly learning. So use this to your advantage because you want people to be the same way to emulate with themselves.

Jasmine Star (00:13:00) - In other team members. They're learning how to act at work by watching you. So a couple of weeks ago, I was in a team meeting and we start every team meeting the same way. Everybody has like 30s and they go around and they share a win, either a personal win or a professional win. And I was talking about this time, like how I've been working at really being conscious of the way that I see the world and the filters that I use. And I had shared a story how my husband and I had taken our daughter to a place called Knott's Berry Farm here in Orange County, and it was a very hot day, and I found myself there were kids who are walking barefoot, and I felt so bad for them because the ground was so hot. And I think I kind of was a little bit judgmental. And I hate admitting I was saying this as like as a form of confession. I was like, babies, where are your mamas? Why don't you have shoes on? You're burning your feet.

Jasmine Star (00:13:47) - And then and then I remember going in, reading in the book about judgment, releasing judgment of yourself and of others. And the author had said, whenever you find yourself looking and having an opinion, good or bad, just say bananas, bananas, bananas. Okay, so I told me something like, the team, okay, I was I was at Knott's Berry Farm and I found myself saying, bananas, bananas, bananas. I will not have a judgment. It's okay. Those kids feet are going to be fine and their moms know them the best. So you're not gonna have an opinion. It's okay. Even though I wanted to take the shoes off my own feet and put them on those little babies, but that's neither here nor there. So I just said bananas, bananas, bananas. And I said, I'm working at releasing myself from my own judgment because I judge myself highly. Okay, so then a few weeks later, we are working on a project in Nashville, and one of our team members came up to me and she said, Jasmine, I just find myself saying bananas, bananas, bananas.

Jasmine Star (00:14:34) - Okay, we were in a situation that let me just tell you, it was not ideal. I'm just gonna leave it at that. I'm not gonna spill the tea. It was not ideal and we were so frustrated. But instead of judging the caliber of the organization that we had hired, we just said bananas, bananas, bananas. The people you lead will watch what you do and they will behave similarly. A good leader is aware of this and carefully chooses how they show up, knowing that the team will show up in the same way. Okay, so let's move on to the next underrated quality in leadership. That's composure mode. Did I save this one for last because I probably didn't want to talk about it. Okay, composure. If you've seen the movie 42, the way that the other teams and managers and the other teams fans, they would eg Jackie Robinson on and off. And let me tell you, I wanted to take out my hoop earrings and I wanted to be like, excuse me.

Jasmine Star (00:15:25) - I will say that in that movie, there's a scene where a reporter asks Jackie Robinson, what are you going to do if one of those pitchers throws at your head? And Robinson responds, I'll duck. Oh oh. They tried so hard to get a rise out of him, but he was cool as a cucumber. And guess what? He broke barriers. He became a civil rights icon and he won the World Series. He won in every single way possible. His ability to stay calm and focused on the game under such hostile pressure was a testament to his mental fortitude. He pivoted. He proved to the world that black athletes belonged in Major League Baseball, not just for their talent, but for their leadership qualities as well. Even when so many people were trying to prove the opposite, did that stop him? No. Did Jackie Robinson set out to be a leader? Was that his intention, or did he simply want the chance to become one of the best baseball players of his time? Whether it was his intention or not.

Jasmine Star (00:16:26) - It's what happened. He became a leader. And maybe Jackie and I have something in common. Maybe being titled a leader feels like we're wearing shoes three times too big. Or maybe he always had the qualities and baseball allowed him to step into his future self, his fullest self. Recently, I joined Gary Vaynerchuk Executive coaching program called Vive and part of the onboarding process I had to complete a survey called A print. In fact, I got an email from the executive coach who's guiding our cohort and this is what her email said. Hi Jasmine, I'm Doctor Natasha Jordan, and I've coached leaders from a spectrum of businesses and environments, ranging from startups to establish multimillion dollar enterprises across various stages of growth. In my mission is to help you scale your unique leadership strengths as you embark on the Viv journey. Where do we go from here? Once you've completed the print survey will arrange your post assessment session where we'll connect one on one to debrief your results Y and assessment. Okay, well actionable insights. The print survey provides insights on what drives your leadership, how your leadership shapes your business strategy, and most importantly, your why.

Jasmine Star (00:17:35) - All right. Let me just pause here at this point in the email, because I was reading an email at that point over email, I began like dry heaving. I was like, oh my God, I need to breathe in a bag. I can't breathe because that panic, I mean, like, surely that survey was going to reveal that I'm actually not a real leader. And then if they found out I was not a real leader, I would be asked to leave the program. Now, of course, deep down I know that wasn't true. But like, that first thought was like worst case scenario. Oh my God. Like they're going to know I don't belong. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to finish her email before I share my results with you. Her email continued with your why report is a catalyst for scaling up. After the assessment, you'll receive a detailed report informing you of your debrief session, driving your ability to lead and scale with precision. Together, we'll examine your report and craft a plan aligning your leadership style with scalable business strategies.

Jasmine Star (00:18:22) - This is not about introspection for your own sake. It's about actionable self-awareness that directly translates into business performance and team efficacy. This is about transforming your innate leadership style into a strategic asset for scaling your business, not about your personal life advice. I'm looking forward to partnering with you. Okay, I'll end that email there. So I finished her email and then I immediately did that assessment and I answered, you know, honestly. And then I was finished like 20 minutes later. And then I was given I was shown my results. I discovered that I was a print survey 8.3 and here's a description of my leadership qualities. Eight threes have great confidence in going after what they want. They believe that the strong and capable will survive, and competence, courageousness and relentlessness and determination are ultimate survival skills. They seem to flow into positions of authority, designated or not, and they remain calm under pressure and feed off stress energy that usually causes other people to back down. Eight threes rely on their resourcefulness to obtain successful results and speak in a direct, honest and straightforward manner.

Jasmine Star (00:19:25) - Eight threes are extremely protective of the people they care about. If someone in their inner circle has been mistreated, you can be sure that an eight three will stand up to protect them, focusing on helping keep things fair for everyone. Okay, I was straight red, I was red. That assessment, it opened my eyes to things I could not see about myself, the things that I considered. That's just natural. It's just normal. I realized those were innate leadership qualities. In that moment, I felt really deep hope. I felt excitement that I can grow into the shoes that I have been wearing. And maybe, just maybe, those shoes won't be as oversized. When I finished this executive group coaching program. I can't wait to share more about what I'm learning with you from that program. But now I want to get back to like, the present day. What does this mean for you in your business? Just as Jackie Robinson demonstrated on the field, your ability to stay calm and focus during turbulent times that can be and make the difference between success and failure.

Jasmine Star (00:20:26) - When you lead with composure, you inspire confidence in your team and you instill a sense of stability within your organization. So as obstacles come up in your business, remember to keep your composure. Here's a little framework called the three C's of Composure to help you when you feel like you're losing your cool. Number one, catch yourself. When you feel the pressure coming on. Catch yourself before you react. Notice the physical signs of stress like is your heart racing or your fist clenched? Is your forehead or draw tensed? Recognizing those early warning signs allows you to intervene before emotions take control. Number two challenge it. Don't let it dictate your perspective. Challenges situation in your mind. Is it truly a crisis? Will it matter in five years or is it just another bump in the road? Reframing the situation as hey, this is just another challenge. Well, it's going to reduce the stress so you can make a clear headed decision. Number three confident communication. Trust me, even when you feel flustered internally, project confidence through communication.

Jasmine Star (00:21:29) - Maintain eye contact. Speak in a steady tone. Avoid fidgeting. Why? Confident, nonverbal cues will start to make you feel more confident and rewire the way that you're viewing the situation. Okay, now let's wrap things up. Let's do a quick review. We learned about Jackie Robinson's underrated leadership qualities and how you can develop them for yourself as well. They were focused courage, humility and composure when it comes to sharpen your focus, block out the distractions, visualize your success, and keep improving just like Jackie did to achieve his goals. When you're leading, lead with courage. Don't be afraid to face challenges head on by taking bold moves, because when you do this, you're going to be inspiring other people. Embrace humility by staying grounded, being open to feedback, and valuing collaboration. And lastly, keep your composure. The three keys to composure. Catch yourself. Challenge it. Communicate confidently. Following this will help you keep your cool and make good, confident decisions. Remember, leadership is about inspiring change and greatness in others.

Jasmine Star (00:22:32) - So how are you going to use this in your life and in your business? I would love for you to share stories on leadership qualities that you're working on, so I can cheer you on. Send me a DM like I want to connect with you. I want to know that you're listening because it is an honor to create, produce, and make the Jasmin Star show. If you have been listening for a while, it would mean nothing more. Please for a review. I will never stop asking for them because if you haven't given one, this message is just for you. I want to say thank you again for listening to The Jasmine Star Show. And as you step into leadership, I am reminding you that if you want to be courageous, you must be willing to make courageous decisions even in the face of adversity.

Jasmine Star (00:23:14) - Thank you again.